


All My Memories, Gather ‘Round Her

by galactic_pal



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Awkward Duck, Birdwatching, Duck and Juno are both bisexual, Duck is smitten, F/M, Friends to Lovers, High School, Hiking, How to tag things, Juno is too but he doesn’t know that, Trans Duck Newton, idk if I’m gonna mention it but just know that he is, this is my literal first fanfic ever so please be nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-05-28 13:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19395391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galactic_pal/pseuds/galactic_pal
Summary: Set in Duck and Juno’s junior year of high school.Duck has a crush on his best friend. He’s also extremely awkward when it comes to talking about his feelings.





	1. Miners’ Lady, Stranger to Blue Water

Duck has a problem. 

Actually, Duck has a crush. Crush is a great word for how he feels around Juno Divine. Lately, every time he tries to talk to her, he feels a suffocating weight on his chest, squeezing the air from his lungs and seemingly disabling the part of his brain that makes words happen. It’s almost as bad as when he tries to lie. 

Hence the problem. 

It all started on Friday, when Duck and Juno said goodbye after school. Just before Duck could ride away on his board, Juno had given him a warm, purely joyful smile that lit up her face and made Duck feel giddy all over. He hadn’t been able to suppress the infectious grin for the whole ride home. 

Then that giddy feeling didn’t leave. Duck felt it resurface every time he thought about Juno, his dorky friend who had been by his side since middle school. Why now was he feeling all… weird about her? Duck certainly didn’t want to make things weird with her, didn’t want to screw up his closest and most comfortable relationship. 

To his merit, Duck would try to bring it up sometimes. Kinda. He could never get more than a couple words in before collapsing into a conversational mess, stumbling over his words and cursing like a sailor. He would then change the subject, and Juno, concerned but considerate, didn’t push it. 

Finally, a week after realizing his feelings, Duck decided to commit. Juno was noticeably worried, and he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it all. They were talking during lunch at school Friday afternoon when he figured he should just get it out. 

“So, uh. Um. Juno, I, uh. I really like hangin’ out with you.”

Juno smiled, her eyes shining playfully. “Well, Duck, I like hanging out with you too, ya goofus. What, you got somethin’ you wanna do in mind?”

Shit, shit, okay. He could do this. “Oh, uh, yeah… Um, did you want to, uh….” Come on, pull it together, think of something, anything, to say. Duck’s eyes drifted to Juno’s open sketchbook, to the work-in-progress blue jay she had been sketching. Bingo!

“Well, I uh, I know you like all the, um, wildlife and such. Out in the forest. Did you, uh, I dunno, wanna go on a hike or somethin’ with me?”

Duck cringed internally. Way to go, you great idiot. Yeah, let’s spend our weekend outside to go see the fucking birds out in the woods. What teenager would say no to that? Dumbass. 

But Juno’s smile brightened, and a new breathy excitement lightened her voice. “You’d really wanna go do that with me, Duck? I, um,” now it was Juno’s turn to be flustered, “I would really love that! You free tomorrow? I know a really good trail for seein’ birds this time of year.”

Wait, shit, that worked? Well, Juno did always have an interest in the native flora and fauna. Why didn’t he think of this in the first place? Duck decided to ride this wave of luck as far as it would carry him. 

“Uh, yeah, sure! I’ll, um, pack some gear and some food and shit and we can, uh, make a whole day of it!”

Juno then wrote down where Duck could find the beginning of the trail in question, and they decided to meet there at 10:30 the next morning. 

The rest of the school day after lunch passed by in a blur for Duck. Eventually, the bell signaled the end of the last class period for the day, and Duck saw Juno one more time as she was getting on her bike to head home. They each waved goodbye and left the school. 

Duck couldn’t believe how well that went. Granted, his brain had mostly been supplying all the ways he could have fucked up the conversation all week. In hindsight, most of the ideas felt rather overdramatic. Especially the one about the earthquake. 

Still, Duck was a mess of emotions. Mostly, he was anxious. He had only asked Juno to hang out, and he still hadn’t told her how he felt about her! There was still a huge possibility that Duck would screw things up. What if Juno felt uncomfortable staying friends after she found out that Duck wanted to be more intimate? Juno had said she was bi, but what if she had changed her mind and didn’t like guys? And what if she did share Duck’s feelings? What if he ended up being a shit boyfriend and really messed up their relationship?

Duck shook his head, focused more on the ride home. Juno was his friend, and had been longer than anybody else. Duck figured the best way he could go about things tomorrow was to just be himself. That had been going well so far, hadn’t it? If he was just as genuine with Juno tomorrow as he had been the last few years of their friendship, it couldn’t go too bad. And if Juno just wanted to stay friends, Duck would be just fine with that. As long as he still got to see Juno after this, he would be alright. 

More confident about the hike tomorrow, Duck rode the rest of his way home.


	2. Dark and Dusty, Painted on the Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got way angstier than I was planning for. Warning for mentions of bullying, but it’s really vague. Next chapter will be the last one, and it’ll probably get posted tomorrow.

The next morning, Duck arrived at the trail, ready for whatever the day held in store for the two of them. The day looked promising, cloudy but not too cold, shaping up for a chilly morning but a comfortable afternoon. He was wearing an old, seldom-worn pair of khaki pants with a t-shirt, denim jacket, and a pair of boots that could handle the woods. He also brought a backpack with a first-aid kit, water, snacks, bug repellent, and a lunch for both himself and Juno. 

When Duck’s sister, Jane, saw him putting together the supplies the previous night, she had interrogated him thoroughly. She knew Duck couldn’t lie for shit, but he still managed to avoid telling her who exactly he had a crush on, only that it was an old friend and none of Jane’s business, thank you very much. She had still teased him a bit before helping him make the lunches. 

As Duck finished riding up to the parking lot, he spotted Juno waiting on a bench nearby. Somehow, she managed to look breathtaking in her hiking gear. She looked prepared and confident and sure of herself in these woods, which is more than Duck could say. Not to mention how good she looked in her jacket, pants, and boots. Her dark hair was tied back, and damn if it didn’t make her look stunning. 

Duck shook himself out of his mild trance and walked up to Juno. She noticed him approaching and immediately gave a friendly smile. 

“Hey there, Duck, you find your way over alright?”

“Sure did. Should we get goin’?”

Juno nodded and they began walking the trail, side by side. 

The woods were fascinating to Duck. He had visited the forest very rarely, but now found himself wanting to be closer to the natural beauty that surrounded him and Juno. It was quiet here, just the two of them, and the only sounds from the woods were of buzzing insects and singing birds. 

The two of them talked and joked as they normally did, Juno occasionally pointing something out as they passed it. She liked the berries from this plant, and once saw a deer over there. Duck listened intently, asking the occasional question, which Juno almost always had an answer for. The conversation eventually consisted solely of Juno’s knowledge of the forest and the life within it, and of Duck’s curious astonishment with the woods and with Juno. 

Duck loved this new side of Juno. They had been friends for so long, but Duck hadn’t had a clue that Juno possessed such an interest in nature. The way her face lit up and the way her mind became so focused as she went on and on about what birds would come out when and what plants were safe to eat was both inspiring and adorable to Duck. 

About an hour into their trek, Juno suggested that they take a break for lunch. Duck agreed, because as much as he was enjoying this trip, his legs were starting to get a little sore. 

The two teenagers pulled off their bags and sat down by a creek. Juno started pulling out some trail mix when Duck offered the sandwich he had made for her. 

“Oh, geez Duck, that’s awful sweet a’ you,”

“Just, uh, figured it was the least I could do. Not like I know anythin’ about these woods,” Duck shrugged, trying to ignore how the way Juno’s remark about him being “sweet” made him blush a little. 

They ate in relative silence, enjoying the sounds of the forest around them. Duck enjoyed looking in the creek, watching some of the little fish and bugs and frogs that swam under the water’s surface. He was about to ask Juno if she knew any of the species he saw, but she spoke first. 

“Sorry for, uh, talkin’ your ear off back there. I know I can get a little, um, carried away sometimes,” her voice was a little sad, not the usual mischievous tone she carried when making a mock-apology after beating his ass in street hockey. She was serious about it this time, and Duck remembered when their classmates used to tease her for being a nerd and a freak for her interest in nature. 

“Hey there, Juno, it’s totally okay with me. I, uh, I really like hearin’ you talk about all this stuff. You’re my friend, and if you care about somethin’, then damn it, so do I,” Duck said, trying to reassure her. It broke his heart to know that Juno felt the need to repress her love for nature just because a bunch of dipshit kids would give her trouble for it. 

Juno sighed a bit, a sad smile twisting her lips. “I appreciate that you’d say that, Duck. I, uh, I really like you a lot, man. You’re definitely the best friend I’ve ever had. I,” she took a moment to wipe her eyes, which were welling up a bit with tears, “I’m real glad you asked me out here today. I never get to show nobody how awesome this forest is, and it’s real nice to be able to do that with you, Duck.”

Duck’s chest filled with warmth at Juno’s words. They rarely had conversations about serious shit like feelings anymore, not since after Duck transitioned a couple years ago and Juno’s bullying died down once they got to high school. Duck felt how close they were then, how strong their bond was that they could trust each other with how they felt inside. He realized Juno was still sniffling, eyes downcast, and he couldn’t have any of that. 

“C’mere,” he gently coaxed Juno into his arms, face pressed into his shoulder. She relaxed a bit, and Duck brought his arms around her upper back as her own came to rest around Duck’s waist. He held her gently, resting his cheek atop her head, her soft hair against his face. 

Once Juno’s breathing had settled into its normal rhythm and she fully relaxed into the hug, Duck gently spoke. 

“I like you a lot, too. You’ve helped me through some tough shit, and stayed with me when no one else did. I… We gotta stick together, Juno. I’ll listen to whatever you got to say, ‘cause you done the same for me. Don’t gotta worry none about telling me all about this forest. It’s actually pretty cool, how much you know about it.”

Juno’s grip relaxed, and Duck slowly pulled away. She looked at him with a relieved smile, and asked, “you really feel that way? I don’t… annoy you at all?”

Duck shook his head. “I’m way more annoyed with whoever made you feel like this could’ve been annoying. Must’ve been a real jackass to make you feel like that about somethin’ you love so much.”

Juno shrugged. “Whatever. I got you now. Who gives a shit about any a’ them.”

Duck nodded with a reassuring smile, and pointed to the pond below. “Well, you got any info on anythin’ what lives in there?”

Juno laughed, a sound as bright as sunshine, and began telling Duck about all the critters they could find.


	3. Misty Taste of Moonshine, Teardrop in My Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever, I’ve been dealing with a lot trying to get ready for college. Hope you enjoy the rest of this story!

After spending a bit more time by the creek, Duck and Juno eventually packed up their things and set back on the trail. 

“C’mon, there’s a great spot for birdwatching not too much farther up this way,” Juno said as they started making their way up the path. “After we’re done there, we should head back for the day. I don’t like being out here after dark.”

And so the two friends walked for another fifteen minutes until they reached Juno’s spot: an elevated sunlit clearing that overlooked the sprawling forest below. Juno set her bag down next to a small rock formation and opened it, shuffling around its contents for something specific. Duck joined her by the rocks and took off his pack, taking a break to rehydrate. 

“Here we go,” Juno held up what she had been looking for: a pair of binoculars. “I’ll see what I can find with these, and then I’ll show them to you.”

They settled down on the rocks, Juno looking through her binoculars while Duck kept drinking his water. After a bit, Duck found himself just… looking at her. The way her mouth set in a small frown as she scanned the treeline, the way her hair gently swayed in the breeze. He quickly caught himself staring and turned his gaze back to the woods. Damn, he had it bad. He really needed to tell her how he felt before the end of the day, or he might just combust. 

Duck was pulled from his thoughts by Juno quickly sucking in a breath. “Oh, Duck! Here, I almost never see one of these!” She motioned for him to lean in to look through the binoculars with her. 

Scooting a bit closer, Duck put a hand on his side of the offered binoculars and leaned in to look. Juno put a hand on his back and pointed out into the trees. 

“Right there, on the lower branch.” She whispered, closer to his ear than he would’ve expected. “Black with the red on its chest.”

“Oh shit,” Duck said as he noticed the small bird, “that’s… really cool!” The bird had a body resembling a cardinal, with black feathers on its head and wings. Its belly was white, with a bright red patch that gave the appearance of it bleeding from the heart. 

“Wow,” Duck kept watching the bird as it perched on its branch for a few more seconds before taking off into the woods. 

“Ain’t those the prettiest things?” Juno said as they both pulled back from the binoculars. “That was a rose-breasted grosbeak. A male, t’be specific.”

“Yeah,” Duck commented. “It was pretty neat.”

Juno smiled, and turned to look back out into the woods. “Those’ve always been a favorite of mine.” She continued, her voice soft. “The males look like that to attract a female. They mate for life, y’know. It’s sweet.”

“Yeah,” Duck sighed. They both let a companionable silence settle over them as Juno continued searching the trees. Duck suddenly noticed how close they were, but found it comfortable. Juno looked so at peace out here, all easy smiles and relaxed postures. Duck could definitely understand that feeling, and could picture himself getting used to spending a lot more time in these woods. 

The two teens spent another hour or so like that, Juno occasionally showing Duck more interesting birds that she spotted and supplying a name and a couple fun facts. The sun started to get a bit lower, painting the sky with gentle yellows and oranges. Duck figured they had maybe a few hours before sundown. 

Suddenly, Duck felt something on the top of his head and instantly stiffened. 

“Duck, you good-? Oh my god, hold still!” Juno put a hand over her mouth. 

“What the fuck is it?!” Duck panicked, still frozen. 

Juno let out a muffled giggle. “It’s- it’s a blue jay, don’t worry dude!” 

Duck relaxed a bit, but the bird took flight from his head and landed on a nearby tree. 

Duck sighed in relief, then chuckled along with Juno as he recovered from the momentary shock.

“Man, in all my years I spent out here, I never had nothin’ like that ever happen to me.” Juno rubbed the side of her face as her laughter died down. “Should bring you out here more often, looks like you got good luck!” 

“I guess so,” Duck replied. “I can’t say I would mind. Coming out here with you more, uh, that is.” Shit, why was his face so hot all of a sudden?

Juno quirked a brow. “Hey, dude, have you been doin’ all right lately? I’m kinda worried about you, man.”

Duck’s eyes widened and he started to rub the back of his neck. “Uh-well, um, I just been, uh, kinda more nervous lately. Look, we both know I can’t lie for shit, so, I guess I had better just tell you,” Duck took a deep breath. “I really like you, Juno. You’ve been my best friend, since, hell, since forever. And I’ll always wanna be friends, but lately I’ve been thinkin’ about if, if we could try bein’ something more, y’know?”

Duck stared down at his lap, taking in what he had just said. He then looked back up at Juno. 

“Duck, I…” Juno’s eyes were wide, her brows raised, and her mouth was a tight line before she continued, “I-I’m glad you feel the same way.” Her face softened, and tears began to well up in her eyes. 

“You… you really wanna be t’gether?” Duck asked, face split by a relieved grin. 

Juno nodded and leaned closer. “Yeah, I think I do.”

And then Juno’s hands were on the side of Duck’s face, and her lips were on his. 

Duck jolted a bit, not unlike when the bird had landed on his head minutes before. But then he relaxed into the kiss, putting one arm around Juno and bringing the other up to gently brush his fingers through her soft hair.

Juno smiled against Duck’s mouth before pulling back. Their eyes met, and Duck felt a wave of calm wash over him. This felt right, the closeness, the shared peace, the familiar look of affection on Juno’s face. 

Because they had always been like this, in a way. No matter what was going on, they always had each other, had always been so close. Now they were just a bit more intimate, and got to maybe kiss sometimes. Duck could definitely get used to that. 

“You okay there, Duck?” Juno asked, voice gentle with mild concern. 

“Yeah, totally, I just. That was really neat.” 

Juno breathed a quick laugh. “Good. Thought I mighta broke you a lil bit.”

“Maybe just a little. I’ll manage.”

They leaned against each other and enjoyed the moment a bit longer. Eventually, they packed up and set back on the trail. 

The walk back was quiet, but not awkward. The pair held hands and listened to the crunch of leaves under their shoes and all the birdsong that drifted through the woods.

Just as the last of the golden light filtering through the canopy began to fade, they made it back to the trailhead. 

“Well,” Juno turned to Duck, starting to put her biking gear on, “thanks for comin’ out here with me. It was a great time, don’tcha think?”

“Yeah,” Duck gave a warm smile, still not entirely believing this day was real. “We should maybe, uh, do it again sometime. I had a lotta fun.”

“Me too. I’d love to show you some more of these woods… but, um,” Juno looked down, a shy smile on her face. “I’d love to go on more, uh, dates with you. If you’re interested.”

“Uhm, yeah, uh, definitely. Whenever you want.” Damn, Duck should’ve known he’d still be a bit of an awkward mess with this sort of thing. 

“Alright. See ya later!” 

Before Duck could respond, Juno pressed another quick kiss to his lips and rode off on her bike. 

Duck counted it as a mercy that Juno wasn’t there to see how red he was as he set off on his ride home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Please let me know what you think of this story.


End file.
